


Animal

by maraudertimes



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Contains profanity, F/M, Horror/Dark, Next Generation, Scenes of a sexual nature - Freeform, Sensitive Topic/Issue/Theme, Spoilers, Strong Violence, Substance Abuse, young adult
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-27
Updated: 2016-08-27
Packaged: 2018-08-11 11:04:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7888918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maraudertimes/pseuds/maraudertimes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin may have been the first metamorphagus-werewolf couple to have a child, but they weren’t the last.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Becoming Celeste Sauve

(Luna's POV)  
  
   
  
I glanced at the passport I had stolen from the now-dead-woman in the elevator. Short dark hair, boring brown eyes, a nose that was slightly larger than average. Concentrating, I squeezed my eyes shut and felt the bones in my face rearranging themselves, a shimmer in my eyes and a ripple through my hair informing me of a colour change. Opening my eyes and relaxing, I pulled a compact mirror out of my clutch and glanced in it. Then I stole another glance at the passport.  
  
Identical.  
  
Smiling, I pulled out the lipstick tube and pressed it to my lips. The ruby red colour stuck beautifully. While I could easily get my lips this colour without the use of lipstick, there was something so alluring about a lip print on a hastily scrawled note or a business man’s neck. Snapping the compact closed and putting both the mirror and lipstick tube inside my clutch, I took a breath and smiled.  
  
Opening the stall door, I stepped out into the harshly lit – utterly disgusting – public washroom. Another woman was at one of the sinks and I smiled at her in the mirror when she glanced up at me. Scanning her face, I saw no suspicion or hesitation. Perfect. Time to go to the airport.  
  
  
I sighed as I stepped out into the grey English drizzle. Home sweet home. Hailing a cab, I saw a harried man in a business suit standing under one of the street lights. Early twenties, fit, tailored clothes.  
  
Definitely a good target.  
  
I let someone else take my cab and walked over to the worried man. He was talking to someone on a cell phone and as he noticed me walking towards him, he began to talk faster and in a lower voice. As I got closer, I caught some of his conversation.  
  
“Look Harry, I can’t talk about this now. Call you later?”  
  
Just as I stopped in front of him, he turned off the phone and shoved it in one of his pockets and smiled up at me.  
  
“Hello,” I purred, placing my hand on one of his biceps. “My name is Celeste, and I was just wondering if you could direct me to the nearest hotel.”  
  
The man smiled hesitantly. “Perhaps you can ask your cab driver.”  
  
I flinched, taken aback at his nonchalant dismissal of me. “Well I could, but I asked you.”  
  
“Three blocks that way,” he pointed behind me, “it’s really big, you can’t miss it.”  
  
“Wow, charming, aren’t you?” I said, raising one of my eyebrows.  
  
“Look, I have to get to work. I don’t have time for this. I’m sorry, I’m sure you’re very nice and interesting, but I have to leave. Hope you have fun on your travels.”  
  
With that he walked off, leaving me standing there, completely confused. Even though the girl I chose – Celeste – was gorgeous, he blew me off. That had never happened to me. As I stood there for a moment, steaming mad. When I finally came out of the shock, I looked up at the dark sky and began to count the stars.  
  
Since I was little, if someone ever got me _extremely_ angry, I would look up at the stars and try and count them. I always lost count, but I almost always calmed down.  
  
But tonight was different.  
  
I had been on a plane with other people for hours on end, and then a handsome man completely blew me off after I threw myself at him. I felt something inside me snap and as I put my head down, looking around me.  
  
Another business type man was staring at me a little ways away. But unlike the first, his suit wasn’t tailored, he seemed a little bit younger and he didn’t seem as… trimmed. Definitely not an actual business man. Probably an intern or assistant. But it was good enough. I walked over to him and smiled.  
  
“Hello, my name is Celeste Sauvé,” I said, giving him my hand.  
  
He smiled back at me and took my hand, bringing it to his lips. “I’m Bradley Evans. So are you visiting England?”  
  
“Decidedly not,” I said, enjoying the sparkle of lust in his eyes. “Returning from a vacation, actually.”  
  
“Where did you go?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
“Lots of places. I recently visited France. Paris to be exact.”  
  
Bradley smiled. “Did you learn anything in the city of love?”  
  
“Well, maybe I could show you. Problem is,” I said in a higher pitched sultry voice, “I need somewhere to stay tonight, and I am horrible with directions. I heard of a hotel three blocks away…”  
  
Bradley smirked and took my hand. “Follow me m’lady and I’ll get you to that hotel.”  
  
I smiled and followed him as he hailed a cab, feeling a fury build up inside me. I knew that as soon as the feeling reached my throat, there would be no stopping it. No stalling it either. _It_ would be released. I hoped this idiot Bradley would get me into the hotel room soon enough.  
  
  
“Oh God!” I moaned, as the idiot intern ran his hands up and down my body.  
  
He grunted as I dug my fingernails into his shoulders. “Yeah, you like that baby? You like that?”  
  
And while I didn’t necessarily _not_ like it, that wasn’t the reason I was moaning. The feeling had reached my throat and my mouth now tasted like tin. Like blood. My fingernails gripped Bradley even tighter and I heard him suck in a gasp.  
  
“Oh, you like it rough, baby? Yeah, you like it rough.” He began to sloppily kiss my neck and I squirmed underneath him on the crappy hotel bed. “I’m gonna fuck you so hard,” he grunted, unsteadily trying to unbuckle his pants.  
  
I felt a bone in my jaw crack as I struggled to keep my face the way it was. Hooking my legs around his waist, I flipped us over so that I was kneeling on top of him. His dopy face made me want to slap him, but as he surveyed the situation, a stupid smile grew across his face.  
  
“Oh you _do_ like it rough! Give it to me baby. Give it to me! Oh, I’m so glad I met you!”  
  
I gave a sharp bark of laughter. “Oh, you won’t be.”  
  
I felt my fingernails grow, piercing his skin. The idiot underneath me gasped in pain and began to swear. I saw one of his hands come swishing at my face but I yanked my hand out of his shoulder flesh and grabbed his wrist. His hand stopped an inch from my face. He lashed out at me with his other hand but I grabbed that wrist as well.  
  
Slamming his arms down near his face, I smirked at him in the dim light. Our face were centimetres apart and I could see the fear in his widened eyes. I leaned closer and kissed him lightly. He stiffened and I felt _it_ come out even more. I felt the bones in my face shift without my consent and I let the façade go, letting Celeste melt off my face. Pulling back, I saw Bradley’s eyes widen even more in shock.  
  
“WHAT THE – WHAT THE FUCK _ARE_ YOU?!” He shrieked, struggling to get out from under me.  
  
But I was too strong. I smiled as my real face showed itself. But it wouldn’t stay, I knew that. I could feel my bones shifting, struggling to get into the right shape.  
  
“What am I?” I cooed, rolling my body to press against his.  
  
I felt my strange eyes sear and knew they had turned bright red. The bones in my face shifted completely and I threw my head back and screamed as searing pain flared under my skin. When I looked back at Bradley, he began to scream, shaking and struggling against me. I laughed, the voice gruff and harsh.  
  
“I’m the last thing you’ll see.”  
  
  
I looked at myself in the full length mirror. The woman in the suite above Bradley’s was thankfully gorgeous and my size. The new slit in her throat was a bit unfortunate, but it was what needed to happen. The dress I had taken from her closet was beautiful and complemented my body and the woman’s face. Taking my lipstick tube from the bedside drawer, I swiped it against my lips.  
  
Perfect.  
  
Smoothing down the woman’s blonde hair, I grabbed the small purse I had found in the woman’s suite and dropped the tube into it, next to several hundred dollar bills and three different credit cards. Walking back over to the bed, I surveyed my work.  
  
Leaning over, I placed a kiss against Bradley’s cold cheek, happy that the lipstick left my trademark sexy, ruby red lip print. Grabbing the idiot’s cellphone from the bedside drawer, I dialed 999. Walking out of the room, I waited until they picked up, cutting off the woman answering.  
  
“Room 226. Bradley Evans.”  
  
Then I hung up, pulling the purse over my shoulder and dropping the phone on the ground. Stepping on and making sure it was crushed, I walked away, leaving the hotel in the darkness of the night, under a new name, using a new face.


	2. No Longer One of a Kind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Teddy Lupin

(Teddy's POV)  
  
   
  
“So Harry, you wanted to ask me about my test scores?” I said, walking into the Potters’ kitchen.  
  
“Teddy!” James, Albus and Lily cried as they threw themselves at me.  
  
I loved the Potters. James idolized me, Albus adored me and Lily revered me. I may be exaggerating a little bit. Except the James thing. That bugger _did_ idolize me. I hugged them each in turn and then turned to Ginny and Harry. Giving Ginny a strong hug – I still have that signed Harpies jersey she gave me seven Christmases ago now that I think about it – and then held out my hand to Harry.  
  
He took one look at it and scoffed, grabbing it and pulling me in for a hug himself. I clapped him on the back, trying not to sneeze at his stupid cologne. I’m pretty sure Ron got him that cologne as a prank last year for his birthday, but Ginny liked it and no one else bothered to tell him it didn’t smell good. Pulling away, I took a step back and put my hands in the pockets of my trousers.  
  
“So my test scores…”  
  
Harry nodded, his brow furrowing. “Can we talk about this in the next room? I don’t think this is very… appropriate for present company.”  
  
He looked over at James, Albus and Lily who frowned. I shrugged at them and James began to pout. Ginny smiled at me and told me that she was glad to see me and I returned the sentiment as I followed Harry into the sitting room. He sat down in the large armchair and gestured at the couch. I sat down feeling nervous, butterflies in my stomach. I felt my hair shimmer and I knew it had turned pale blue. Lying back and putting my feet on the glass coffee table, I sighed.  
  
“So I take it this isn’t going to be a happy conversation about how good my scores are?” I asked, twiddling my thumbs and changing the colour of my nails.  
  
Harry raised an eyebrow at my feet and I quickly put them down. “Not really. At first I wanted to talk about your scores – your potions score was atrocious by the way – but something came up. Tell me Teddy, have you ever heard of The Animal?”  
  
I frowned in confusion. “Like a zebra or a dragon?”  
  
Harry chuckled darkly. “No, not _an_ animal. _The_ Animal. Capital ‘t,’ capital’a.’”  
  
I shook my head. “Nope, can’t say I have.”  
  
Harry sighed and got up, walking over to a bookshelf. Pulling out something that looked suspiciously like a scrapbook, he turned and walked over to the couch, sitting beside me. Opening the book and placing half of it on my lap, he pointed to a headline that I recognized as The Daily Prophet’s from the font.  
  
“‘Muggle attacked by seemingly magical animal in hotel,’” I read, looking up at Harry. “What does that mean? It’s not that complicated, just take samples from the wounds and figure out what creature killed it.”  
  
Harry sighed and seemed about to turn the page. “Teddy, I know you’ve seen a lot of stuff through auror training, but what you’re about to see… It isn’t pretty.”  
  
With that, he turned the page and I sucked in a gasp. Photos of the carnage attacked me, blood and gore displayed on an otherwise white bed. Looking away, I caught Harry’s eye.  
  
“What did that?” I asked quietly, fighting the urge to vomit. I felt my hair shimmer green.  
  
“That is the work of The Animal. But the part the Auror Department found most interesting was this.”  
  
He turned a page in his sadistic scrapbook. There was only one photo on either page. The first was a photo of the victim’s profile, but there was a strange red mark on the cheek facing away from the camera. The next photo showed the cheek in question and I drew in a breath as I saw the distinct ruby red stain left by a lipsticked kiss.  
  
“The thing that killed that guy. It was a woman?”  
  
Harry nodded solemnly. “We call her The Animal. That was the first documented case that the Auror Department had. Last year, when she hit her peak, we had someone infiltrate the British police service. It’s been happening for a while. First case was a little girl in London, but she was only bit in the jugular.” He turned the page and I felt my stomach turn with it as I saw the photos. “No lipstick print, but those kept appearing. The first documented case the muggle police officers could find that include the lipstick print was three years ago. The first one that the aurors were included in was two years ago.”  
  
I gave him a puzzled look. “So you’ve been on this case for three years but you’ve had no clues?”  
  
“Teddy,” Harry sighed, “this thing is different. We did what you just suggested: we analysed the wounds of the victim. Ted, this thing is a werewolf.”  
  
“Well there you go,” I said, clapping my hands. “Case closed. Post aurors around London on the full moon. You’ll catch this thing sooner or later.”  
  
Harry grimaced and I felt my stomach drop. “Teddy, it doesn’t attack on the full moon. This thing… whatever it is… it can become a werewolf by choice. And the analysis only came back 50% werewolf. This thing isn’t normal.”  
  
“Well what does that have to do with me?” I asked, extremely aware that I sounded like a whiny eight-year-old boy.  
  
“I heard from Fleur two days ago and she’s been in touch with Victoire. Apparently you lost your temper a week ago.” I flushed red. Victoire and I had gotten into a stupid argument about her friendship with Mark Wood – something I don’t approve of. “Victoire told Fleur that you did something strange. That you became… animalistic. Your face shifted into something wolfish.”  
  
I scowled. “So what? We knew that with my father’s condition there might be some effects to me.”  
  
“I’m not blaming you for anything, Teddy. I truly thought it was extraordinary. I told Hermione about it and we discussed it and we came to a conclusion.”  
  
“You’ve been talking about me with Hermione?” I asked, my voice dangerously low. “Harry, what happens between me and Victoire should _stay_ between me and Victoire.”  
  
“Teddy, I realize that you’re embarrassed about what happened, but hear me out. A year after the Auror Department learnt of The Animal, it disappeared. And not like the other times. The other times, we would hear descriptions of the women last seen with our victims, only to find that those women had either died the same day as the victim or days before, any IDs, passports and credit cards stolen.”  
  
I frowned. “Polyjuice potion?”  
  
“That’s what we thought, but no large patches of hair were missing from the victims and sometimes we would hear of the dead women walking around towns for days after being killed. No amount of polyjuice potion or any kind of potion, really, can make you look like another person for days on end without constant replenishing. And without the women’s hair, how would the polyjuice potion be taken continuously?”  
  
I frowned again, pondering. Looking up, I saw Harry staring at me.  
  
“When Fleur told me about your little spat with Victoire, I began to suspect. But with Hermione, we finally figured it out. Teddy, we think The Animal is a hybrid.”  
  
“A hybrid?”  
  
“Teddy, your parents were two amazing wizards, no doubt. But they also had extremely magical DNA. You are, in all technicality, a hybrid. A mix between a werewolf and a metamorphagis. You inherited your mother’s magical ability to change your appearance at will. When thinking about your strange transformation when you were fighting with Victoire last week, we think you may also have inherited some of your father’s… affliction.”  
  
I felt the blood drain from my face and my hair shimmer white. “So you’re saying there’s someone else out there… someone like me.”  
  
Harry nodded solemnly. “Teddy, I know you haven’t technically finished auror training, but you are the only wizard even semi-qualified for the task I need you to complete.”  
  
“Task?”  
  
“If Hermione and I are right, you are the only wizard on the earth that’s qualified for this job. You are 95% done with auror training and you have in depth knowledge on this subject.”  
  
“Harry,” I said, cutting him off before he could start another sentence. “What is it you want me to do?”  
  
“I need you to bring me The Animal.”  
 


	3. Drowning in Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luna Montgomery

**(Luna’s POV)**  
  
I took a deep breath as the air whooshed across my face, through the stolen red of my last victim’s hair. That woman truly was an idiot. Had she really thought that someone would even think about buying her artwork? Only Picasso would have managed to sell the dreadful things she had the gall to call paintings, and he would have difficulty doing that!  
  
I did her a favor, I thought as the mechanical creaking of the London Eye made me wince. It was obvious she wasn’t very happy in her situation. I remedied that for her.  
As the enormous wheel came to another creaking stop, my seat at the very top, I smiled and closed my eyes, letting the harsh wind cut against my face.  
  
****  
  
 _"Daddy, I’m hungry! Please… Can I just have an apple?”  
  
A slab of steak hit the ground in front of her, the blood dripping down onto the linoleum and making her stomach quiver.  
  
“Filthy half-breed. Don’t even deserve to be called a bloody werewolf.”_  
  
****  
  
I opened my eyes as I felt my windpipe constricting. I clutched at my chest as I felt the familiar tightness there that always accompanied my memories. The façade on my face was slipping and I put all my concentration into keeping the face of that idiotic artist. As the London Eye kept its steady movement, I felt tears well up in my eyes. No. I couldn’t let myself shed anymore tears for that bastard. Quickly wiping away the droplets, I instinctively looked up but there were no stars.  
  
Stupid! I thought. It’s the middle of the day. What did you expect?  
  
To compensate, I looked down and tried to count the people, but their movements were too erratic and it gave me a headache. I began to feel light-headed and as my seat came to a stop at the very bottom of the machine and the man there tried to help me out, I stumbled. Warm hands grasped my right arm and I looked up to see a warm pair of brown eyes.  
  
“Are you okay?”  
  
I blinked a few times and an average looking man came into focus. He had black hair and brown eyes and freckles dotted along his nose and cheeks.  
  
“No…” I managed almost breathlessly. “I need to… to sit down.”  
  
The man nodded and guided me over to a bench where a mother and her child quickly got up. I dropped onto the wood and tried to breath, but the air felt so humid and sticky and my windpipe felt so small that it seemed impossible. The man sat beside me and grabbed one of my hands, squeezing it and letting it go methodically. I rolled my head to look over at him as he said something, but my head felt so airy I couldn’t hear a thing.  
  
Stars. His freckles are like stars.  
  
I began to count them, starting from the right side of his face to his left. By the time I reached the bridge of his nose I had lost count, but the rhythmic counting had calmed me down.  
  
“I’m sorry about that. I get… attacks like that sometimes,” I said, sitting up straight and letting go of the man’s hand.  
  
He smiled at me and nodded. “It’s no problem. I was happy to help. My name’s Carter by the way. Max Carter. Are you okay?”  
  
I tried to smile, though judging by his expression it probably looked like a grimace. “I’m… better. Thank you, Max Carter.”  
  
I tried to get up but I suddenly felt woozy and spots of light flashed in my vision. Swaying and then sitting back down, I felt Max Carter’s hands on my shoulders in an attempt to steady me.  
  
“Yeah, you are definitely not okay. I think it best if I take you to the hospital.”  
  
He tried to get me to stand up but I pushed his hands away. “No, I can’t go to the hospital. It’s… I just can’t, okay?” He gave me a strange look so I put my brain into overdrive trying to figure out a plausible scenario. “I have an abusive ex-boyfriend. I left him yesterday, so I really don’t want to go somewhere he could track me.”  
  
Max Carter nodded solemnly. “My sister lived through that a couple of years ago. I’m really sorry,” he added, giving me a sympathetic smile. “Are you sure, though? You don’t seem to be alright. I would feel awful just leaving you here.  
  
****  
  
 _A pair of muscular hands grabbed her arm and the next thing she knew she was outside the door in the cold rain. Tears streamed down her face and mixed with the rain water as she leaned against the door._  
  
I’m a disappointment, _she thought bitterly._ He has every right to be angry. I’m old enough to carry my own weight around here…  
  
 _A pair of girls near her age ran down the alleyway and passed her, not even giving the shivering girl a second glance. They were laughing and giggling under an umbrella about some boy named Josh giving some girl named Kayla a kiss and how Jackie’s mother expected Jackie to start babysitting her brother after school, but really, what girl wants to work at that age?_  
  
****  
  
“Hey. Hey! Wake up!”  
  
I jolted upright, my airway constricting again and a familiar feeling gurgling in my stomach. As Max Carter shook me to get my attention, I locked eyes with him.  
  
“Are you sure you don’t want to go to the hospital? You had another… attack.”  
  
I felt my breath hitch in my throat and air come rushing into my lungs.  
  
“I’m sure!” I said hurriedly. “I just need… to get back to my hotel room. My sister… she’s hiding out with me and… she knows what to do in these… situations.”  
  
Max Carter looked apprehensive. “Okay… Can I ask you one thing then?” I raised an eyebrow, silently conveying my acceptance, even though it was somewhat reluctant. “What’s your name? It’s a little awkward trying to pull you out of your… episode without even knowing what to call you.”  
  
I breathed a sigh of relief. “Amanda. Amanda Trainor.”  
  
“Well Amanda Trainor, I think we best get you to that hotel room now. You look positively green and I don’t necessarily want to carry you.”  
  
He smiled and I returned it, even as the beast inside growled viciously. Getting me back to my hotel room was a good idea.  
  
**********  
  
My lips were on his in an instant after the lift doors had closed. His back was pressed against a mirror and I looped a hand around his neck to pull him in for a deeper kiss. Suddenly though, he pulled away.  
  
“I’m sorry. I feel horrible doing this. I know you just broke up with your boyfriend, and it feels like I’m taking advantage of you because I’m helping you cope with your… episodes.”  
  
The feeling had risen to about three inches above my naval and was climbing higher with every passing second. If this idiot didn’t get me to my hotel room quick enough, well… let’s just say the mess would be intensified by all these lift mirrors.  
  
“You’re not taking advantage of me in the slightest,” I whispered against his lips. “Think of it as me taking advantage of my rescuer.”  
  
“Rescuer? I like the sound of that,” he said arrogantly as he swooped in to take my lips in his.  
  
We attacked each other’s mouths extravagantly until the lift doors opened and we stumbled out, my dress rumpled at the edges and his shirt and hair mussed up. I grabbed his hand and dragged him behind me until I finally got to my hotel room. As we burst in, I slammed it shut only to have him press me against it in such a manner that intensified the feeling in my gut, making it rise to just before my neck.  
  
“Let’s take this to the bed,” I said quickly as I pulled away from his lips for a second.  
  
He quickly reclaimed my mouth but did so, laying me down and letting his hands roam up my arms until they were extended above my head. A sharp click made me pull away from him in surprise and the sharp glint in his eyes and smirk on his face scared me.  
  
I tried to pull my arms back down but they had been handcuffed to the bedframe. I screamed out as he got off the bed, scared at what he might do to me. I was pleading, begging him not to hurt me when he cut me off.  
  
“Shut it, you worthless piece of trash. I know exactly what you are. Allow me to properly introduce myself: Detective Inspector Max Carter of the London PD.”  
  
But I wasn’t listening. Those words had triggered another memory and I was falling head first into the past.  
  
****  
  
 _He came at her and she backed away, feeling her back press against the door she had just come in from, the handle digging into her back._  
  
“You are never leaving this place, you worthless piece of trash. You will stay in the house and you will never leave. Never!” he screamed, his arms flailing drunkenly as he attempted to reach her.  
  
A strange feeling washed over her and she felt something clawing at her throat, trying to get out. Her face felt as if it was on fire and the man stepped back in horror as she heard facial bones popping and cracking - rearranging.  
  
After that, all she saw was red.  
  
****  
  
“Yeah, Larry? I’ve got her… Not that hard actually. She’s not the brightest of the bunch.”  
  
I felt adrenaline pump through me and the feeling had finally reached my throat. Tugging at my arms, I heard the wooden bed frame splinter and my wrists come free though I still had a handcuff on each.  
  
“I’m at Beachwood… Hold on, I think she's coming to.”  
  
My face rearranged itself on impulse and I leaped from the bed into a crouching position on the floor as Max Carter entered the room, a small cellphone in his hand. Baring my teeth, I lunged as all he could do was scream.


	4. The Worst Proposal Ever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Teddy Lupin

My palms were sweaty and my suit was constricting my neck. I pulled on it awkwardly as Vicky smiled at me from across the table, her white blonde hair framing her face expertly. She had on the earrings that Aunt Ginny had given her for her seventeenth birthday – something I couldn’t have imagined going any better, due to the circumstances. The menu in front of her was open and she stared at me expectantly.  
  
“Um… The steak looks good.”  
  
Vicky’s face fell and I felt my heart drop.  
  
“I asked if you wanted to go to the party at work next Friday,” she said quietly, her bottom lip trembling. “Merlin, Teddy. You’re always doing this, ever since you went to see Uncle Harry. It’s about that case you won’t tell me about isn’t it?” I was silent, opening and closing my mouth to no avail – I was essentially mute. “You’re pulling away from me Ted, and if it’s going to be like this when you become an actual auror, I don’t think I’ll be able to take it.”  
  
“Vicky…” I tried, thoughts racing through my brain. “Vicky, I swear it isn’t like that.”  
  
Vicky just crossed her arms and stared at me from across the table. “Fine. What’s it like then?”  
  
“Can we just talk about this later? I swear that after dinner I’ll explain everything,” I said hurriedly as a waiter stopped at our table.  
  
He greeted us and asked us for our order. I asked for a rare steak and he took my menu. Vicky just stared at me from across the table. When the waiter turned to her, she did nothing but stare at me.  
  
“Should I come back later, then?” he asked uncomfortably.  
  
Vicky shook her head and handed him the menu. “I will have a boyfriend who actually cares for me.”  
  
I felt anger rise up as the poor waiter just stood there awkwardly, holding the menus. “I’m afraid that’s not on the–” he started.  
  
“I want a lobster supreme,” Vicky interrupted. She turned and glared at the poor man. “And a bottle of red wine, please. I don’t care what kind, just get me some red wine.”  
  
The man looked extremely uncomfortable but scampered off and left us in a stony silence. Vicky just glared at me from across the table. When the waiter came back with her red wine, she filled her wine glass up to the brim, all the while staring at me. Then, shooing away the waiter, she began to drink it, her eyes not leaving mine. My suit was beginning to constrict my airway again and I pulled at the collar as Vicky never looked away.  
  
“It’s not the auror thing,” I said quickly. Vicky’s eyebrows raised but she kept the wine glass raised to her lips. “It’s something else, I swear. But I can’t tell you yet. Can we just get dinner over with?”  
  
“Oh yes!” Vicky suddenly screamed, her voice skyrocketing several octaves. “Of course! All you want to do is get this stupid dinner over with. It’s not as if you truly care about spending time with me anymore. You’ve been so distant lately that I don’t know if we should even keep this up.”  
  
I felt my heart stop and the small box in my trouser pockets began to feel heavy. “Vicky, you don’t mean that.”  
  
“Oh really?” she asked expectantly, her eyes drenched in anger. “You know what I want? Tell me then, _Teddy_ , what do I want?”  
  
Just then, a large commotion near the front of the restaurant made us both turn to see a familiar mop of black hair charging through to our table.  
  
“OH, WELL THIS IS JUST BLOODY FREAKING PERFECT!” Vicky shrieked.  
  
If anyone in the restaurant either hadn’t heard her earlier rant or hadn’t turned to stare at us, now they were. I felt my cheeks burn bright red and I knew from the furious shimmering feeling near the top of my head that my hair was changing colours at random.  
  
“Teddy, we need you to come in,” Harry said as he got to us, eyeing Vicky suspiciously. “It has to do with the case.”  
  
“Really?” Vicky scoffed, staring Harry down. “Does this really have to do with Teddy’s _stupid case_?”  
  
Harry looked confused and shoved his hands into his jacket pockets. “Um, yes? Now Victoire, I don’t like you taking that tone with–”  
  
“You don’t like me taking that tone with you?” Vicky said quietly, her voice deadly and definitely frightening. “Well maybe I wouldn’t if my sodding boyfriend weren’t working late every single night and doing Merlin knows what in the name of this case. He even worked two days ago when he was supposed to have a day off!”  
  
I felt my heart drop and the blood rushed from my face. This wasn’t good.  
  
“Teddy was working two days ago?” Harry asked, looking at me. “If he was, it wasn’t at the office.”  
  
I looked from Vicky to Harry and then back again, quite a few times before stammering out a quiet “I have a good reason.”  
  
“WHAT BLOODY REASON COULD YOU POSSIBLY HAVE TO LIE TO ME?” Vicky screamed, tears forming in her eyes. “I BET YOU DON’T EVEN WORK LATE ANYMORE, YOU JUST WANT TO GET AWAY FROM ME, ISN’T IT? WHAT’S WRONG WITH ME? IS IT THAT I CAN’T COOK TO SAVE MY LIFE?”  
  
“Vicky,” I pleaded, imploring her to stop with my eyes, “I swear it isn’t like that.”  
  
“WELL WHAT IS IT LIKE THEN? ARE YOU GOING TO TELL ME YOU’RE CHEATING ON ME WITH SOME SLAG? IS THAT IT? BECAUSE YOU BETTER NOT TELL ME THAT TEDDY LUPIN OR I’LL OWL YOUR GRANDMUM AND BLOODY TELL HER THAT YOU–”  
  
“Look Teddy,” Harry mumbled as Vicky continued her tirade, “I really need you to come in.”  
  
“–THREE SODDING YEARS AND YOU DON’T EVEN HAVE THE DECENCY TO TELL ME THAT YOU’RE NO LONGER INTERESTED. NO TALKING, NO LETTER–”  
  
My blood was boiling and my head was pounding like mad. The box in my pocket was burning my leg and everyone was staring.  
  
“I can tell that you’re having difficulties with Victoire right now, but–”  
  
I knew that my hair was changing colour, which meant that the scene looked even more ridiculous than it could have.  
  
“I CAN’T BELIEVE I EVER THOUGHT YOU WERE SENSITIVE, YOU OBNOXIOUS PIECE OF–”  
  
People were pointing at Harry, staring at Vicky in fright, or watching me with awe.  
  
“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t extremely important–”  
  
My mouth was dry and I had finally had enough.  
  
“ _BOTH OF YOU JUST BLOODY SHUT IT!_ ” I roared, my breath irregular and choppy. Vicky looked wounded but like she was going to start again so I had to do it quickly. “ _VICTOIRE AMALIE WEASLEY, YOU DAFT, DAFT, GIRL_ ,” I shouted somewhat unnecessarily since the restaurant was completely silent, and then got down on one knee, “ _I WANT YOU AND ONLY YOU FOR THE REST OF MY SODDING, BLEEDING, STUPID LIFE. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO ONE I’D RATHER SPEND MY DAYS WITH. WILL YOU STOP BEING ANGRY AT ME FOR A FEW SECONDS AND MAKE ME THE HAPPY MAN IN THE WORLD BY AGREEING TO MARRY ME?_ ”  
  
I reached into my trouser pocket and pulled out the small velvet box. As I opened it, I watched her face, searching for an answer. Vicky’s face went white and I think Harry choked on air, but I had finally gotten the words out. I looked at Vicky expectantly, hoping to Merlin that my outburst had lessened her enraged mood. As she took one step towards me, I watched her carefully, ready to reach out and grab her if she fell, catch her hand if she tried to hit me, and run away if she exploded.  
  
But none of that happened. Instead, she threw herself into my arms and our lips met forcefully. I think she was trying to say yes but in the midst of snogging me she couldn’t get the air to. I clung to her, holding her small frame to me as if it would blow away in the wind and I would wake up to find that this was just a dream. People around us began to applaud and we stayed like that for a good minute, kissing each other as if we’d never see each other again, until Harry decided to ruin it.  
  
“I hate to ruin this moment, but a notorious murderer has just been caught and I really need Teddy _right now._ ”  
  
I pulled away from Vicky and smiled. “I promise you that I will get through this as fast as you can and then come back to you at home, alright?”  
  
She beamed and nodded. “Do hurry. We need to celebrate the engagement and that might take a few hours.” She winked at me as Harry began choking again. Vicky seemed to realize what she had just said because she flushed. “Oh, sorry Uncle Harry. Newly engaged bliss and all that.”  
  
He just mumbled something unintelligible before grabbing my arm and dragging me out of the restaurant by the arm of my suit jacket. Once we were securely out of the restaurant he turned to me and smiled.  
  
“The ring match her earrings?”  
  
“I had Ginny’s help there.”  
  
Harry chuckled softly. “You do know that Victoire’s version of celebrating might get you killed by her father.”  
  
“I do,” I said bashfully, staring at my feet. “But she’s worth dying for.”  
  
“That’s what I thought about Ginny,” Harry said reminiscently. “And do you know what?”  
  
I looked at him, the only male role model I had ever had. Although I loved my grandmum, Harry would always be the father I never had. I knew that he would have advice for me right now that Gran would never be able to tell me. “What?”  
  
“She was and she still is. As long as you always remember that, not only will the marriage be a success, but Bill might let part of you live.” He smiled and winked at me.  
  
“Thanks Harry,” I said, overwhelmed with a sense of happiness.  
  
He began to flush and quickly coughed, straightening his jacket. “Right. Notorious murderer. So, good news: we caught the Animal.”  
  
I looked at him suspiciously. “What’s the bad news?”  
  
“I seem to remember you very nearly failed interrogation.”


End file.
